New ombudsman to fight for disabled rights groups Dulcie McCailum addresses North Shore group BRITISH COLUMBIA’S new ombudsman, Dulcie Mc- Calium, will be using her experience working with Cara- dian disabled rights groups to take on issues affecting dis- abied people in the province. She said her office will be tackl- ing many issues, but that the needs of disabled people have been addressed less in the past, so are often particularly pressing. Their need for access to a wide range of services is being highlighted by the current process of integrating them into the com- munity, she said. McCallum, who was speaking at the annual general meeting of the North Shore Disabilizy Resource Centre at the Lonsdale Quay hotel, is a lawyer who spent four years as the legal counsel and government affairs consultant to the Canadian Association for Community Living and other groups, before she assumed her new post in August. The importance of the om- budsman’s office is that it pro- vides a third avenue for appeal outside the courts and the political Process, which can be costly, in- timidating or otherwise ineffec- tive, said McCallum. “There are lots aad lots of people falling between the cracks and not having any real access to participatory democracy,” she said. She added that the office would never replace the role of locaf MLAs in dealing with By Stephen Wisenthai Contributing Writer constituents’ complaints, but there are some issues that MLAs lack the resources to investigate, or in- volve people whe are concerned that their cause will become politicised, and her office can help. And she said the provincial government has shown & com- mitment to some of the goals of her office. “The throne speech indicated an openness of government io try to get British Columbians to have confidence in their government again,’ said McCallum. She said the commitments to expanded freedom of information and to new areas of responsibility for the ombudsman’s office are both good signs. On Nov. 1, she will be given jurisdiction to investigate com- plaints about schools and schoo! boards and the law society. Tnis will give more people a final resort if their ccncerns are not resolved by those groups’ in- ternal complaint procedures, she said, McCallum predicted the “primary focus’’ of complaints about schools will be access to special education services. And the office will ve able to help people who are illiterate or mentally handicapped, and therefore have difficulties in finding lawyers. But she cautioned British Col- umbians not to bring all their concerns to the ombudsman's of- fice. “We are the residual, but we are not the answer io all the prob- Jems. We will requise that you ex- haust all your appeal mecha- nisms,’” said McCallum. The ombudsman reports to the entire legislature, and not to the premier or any one party. Her appointment was approved unanimously by both the selection committee and the legislature, and she can only be removed from of- fice by a vote in the legislature. “If the government of the day wants to get rid of me they will find it very difficult,’’ said Me- Callum. While practising law, McCalium worked on a number of cases in- volving the human rights of the mentally handicapped, including the ‘‘Eve case’’ about the right to refuse non-therapeutic steriliza- tion. Before she became a lawyer, she was a public health nurse. The North Shore Disability Resource Centre Association changed its name earlier this year fromm the North Shore Association for the Physically Handicapped. TrI-STRAWBERRY LAND PRODUCE Great Produce! Bananas Honey ew Great Prices! 39° 49° ,, Hot House Tomatoes 59° ... Oranges Aiwi Fruit frozen dim sum * fresh cut flowers 10/ 4?" © squeezed juice $400 «fruit salad Mon-Thurs. 10:00-6:00 Friday 10:06-9:00 Sat-Sun. 10:00-6:00 Parking in rear 1200 Marine Drive, NVan. (across from McDonalds) 985-1255 ednesday, October 7, 1992 - North Shore News rere = Phoic submitted B.C'S NEW ombudsman Dulcie McCallum recently spoke at the annual general meeting of the North Shore Disability Resource Centre at the Lonsdale Quay Hotel. 50 Z LEVOL on RIVIERA 1°& 1/2" Mini Blinds sugg. retall , « Hundreds of colours J ° Energy efficient : Offer ends Oct. 31/S2 A SHADE BATTER & in it d Pe il Specializing in Blinds and Draperies tor over 7 years 1877 Marine Drive, N.Van. 984-44 04 #4-38948 Progress Way, Squamish 892-5857 Whistier 932-6617